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Spontaneous Alternating Behavior In Paramecium Caudatum And Paramecium Multimicronucleatum, Nyron K. A. Bovell

Legacy ETDs

Spontaneous alternating behavior (SAB) describes the tendency of an organism to spontaneously select the unfamiliar direction in a two choice situation. Paramecium is the only microscopic genus in which SAB has been studied. The two earlier studies regarding SAB in Paramecium have come to conclusive, but diametrically opposed results. Designing a single new experiment that incorporates the critical differences in the designs of both studies may help to clarify the results from these earlier studies, and provide an excellent opportunity to better understand the factors that influence SAB.

The overall objective of this research project was to determine whether or …

An Analysis Of Perceptions Of Online Instruction By Department Chairs In The Field Of Higher Educational Administration In The United States, Edna Lynn Levernier

Legacy ETDs

The rapid global emergence of a multi-billion dollar electronic (e)-leaming industry has forced department chairs in the field of educational leadership and administration in higher education institutions across the United States to assess the value, quality, and legitimacy of online instruction. For many, the concept of online education significantly challenges deeply held pedagogical beliefs and educational values such as academic freedom, protection of intellectual property rights, academic integrity, and quality. For others, the "fit" of online education with existing departmental and institutional mission statements, cultures, budgets, reward systems, policies and procedures, is unclear or uncertain. In an age where "technology …

A Descriptive Study Of The Student Support Team Process In Elementary Schools In Georgia, Sarah Walls

Legacy ETDs

The goal of this descriptive study was to present basic information describing the Student Support Team (SST) process in elementary schools in Georgia. The research method used for the study was a quantitative analysis of data collected from a survey of randomly selected SST coordinators in elementary schools across the state. Results from the study were used to address research questions on the following topics: (a) percentage of student population involved in SST, (b) reasons students are referred to SST, (c) goals that drive the SST process, (d) individuals serving as members and coordinators of Student Support Teams, (e) tasks …

An Examination Of Psychological Variables Affecting Injured Athletes Prior To Returning To Play, Jessica Marie Meyers

Legacy ETDs

Injury occurs in a variety of different sports and affects athletes in a number of different ways. Following injury, athletic identity is often lost, bringing upon feelings of anger and depression (Brewer, 1993; Fortunato & Marchant, 1999). As athletes begin to re-enter sports, lower levels of sport-confidence are exhibited (Johnston & Carroll, 1998). Social support has been shown to motivate individuals as well as aid in the overall progress of rehabilitation (Ford & Gordon, 1999; Magyar & Duda, 2000). The purpose of the current study was to determine psychological factors that may influence returning to a sport in which injury …

Creatress: A Woman's Hand, Susan Isherwood Gibbs

Legacy ETDs

Using stylized and abstracted sculptural interpretations of She—Great Mother, Mother Nature, Earth Goddess, Creatress, Gaia, female sexuality, and the feminine aspects of nature; a wide range of differing chemicals and temperatures for the development of various clay bodies; and a vivid color palette to reflect ideas, feelings, and moods, I present a story of woman as metaphor for Earth and nature, an immense organic, ecological, and conscious whole. Incorporating found objects (natural and manmade) and fibers (organic and synthetic) with my clay imagery, I offer an awareness of the roles ofwomen from around the world in the spiritual and psychological …

"Creating Power:" Social Mobility And The Transformative Vision In Hugh Henry Brackenridge's Modern Chivalry, Jon D. Blackstock

Legacy ETDs

No abstract provided.

The Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax Referendum And The Financing Of Public School Capital Projects In Georgia, Kathy Cox Peavy

Legacy ETDs

Although taxes have risen across the nation, funding for public school capital projects still remains a critical need in education. The public outcry for no new taxes has given arise to various types of creative funding for capital projects. The use of a 1-cent sales tax for educational purposes is one type of new funding for capital projects. This study was a mixed-method, descriptive design study gathering quantitative and qualitative data on the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax referendum in Georgia. Fifty-seven school districts in Georgia, with an approved SPLSOT referendum on March 18. 1997, along with four school …

Concentration Characteristics And Batting Performance In Collegiate Baseball And Softball, Daniel Samess

Legacy ETDs

This study examined relationships between batting performance, trait anxiety, and concentration style. A predictive analysis was also formed to determine the combination of subscales that may best explain variance in batting performance. To accurately measure these variables, the Sport Competition Anxiety Test (SCAT; Martens, Vealey, & Burton, 1990) and the Batting-specific Test of Attentional and Interpersonal Style (B-TAIS; Albrecht & Feltz, 1987) were employed. Participants consisted of both male collegiate baseball and female collegiate sofitball players located in the southeastern section of the United States. Participants' 2003 batting statistics were utilized to assess batting performance, and participants must have compiled …

Teacher And Administrator Perceptions Of Teacher Performance Evaluation Systems In Two Georgia Public School Districts, Jane Ford-Brocato

Legacy ETDs

Teacher evaluation has the potential for improving teachers' skills and contributing to school improvement. This study was designed to measure and compare the perceptions of teachers and administrators regarding two performance evaluation systems that were in use in two comparable Georgia school districts during the 2001- 2002 school year to determine if teachers and administrators perceived any significant difference between the two systems of teacher evaluation and their impact on improving instruction and promoting professional growth. One of the school district's utilized a locally adopted alternative teacher evaluation system, while the other school district maintained its use of the Georgia …

Reconceptualizing Mathematics Education, Melinda Ann Smith

Legacy ETDs

This dissertation is to explore theoretically mathematics education in the United States and the need for reconcepualizing mathematics education. Mathematics education needs reconceptualizing because students know very little mathematics by the time they graduate from high school. Mathematics has become a subject to be feared and dreaded for centuries. High school teachers blame middle school teachers, middle school teachers blame elementary teachers, and elementary teachers blame parents for their students' lack of preparedness in mathematics. Elementary teachers express frustration in teaching mathematics because of their own lack of content knowledge and lack of preparation for the mathematics component of their …

The Meaning Of The Meaningless In The Plays Of Suzan-Lori Parks, Andrea J. Goto

Legacy ETDs

No abstract provided.

An Archaeology Of Pain, Dennis Michael Gruber

Legacy ETDs

Pain is a discursive construct of science and medicine. Through the discourses of biopower and technoscience pain is used to construct and maintain the social body. Biopower and technoscience are discursive practices that are enveloped within the disciplines of Western society. Specifically, the disciplines of education, science, and medicine use biopower and technoscience to normalize the body and construct binaries which create the abnormal. The cyborg is a discursive practice used to implode the binaries of the disciplines which maintain the social body. Through the implosion of binaries, the binary of mind/body is no longer plausible in the explanation of …

Rhetoric And Romanticism In Charles Darwin's Origin Of Species, James Zarrello

Legacy ETDs

Charles Darwin's fame and success as a scientist were undoubtedly based on the reception of the evolutionary paradigm he articulated in Origin of Species. Although many of Darwin's ideas were only ideas at the time of Origin's publication, they indubitably fostered the widespread acceptance of the evolutionary worldview among scientists and non-scientists. And this phenomenon took place in a relatively short period of time. The fact that much of Darwin's evolutionary thesis was well received and yet was clearly, and by his own admission, hypothetical, may seem to be a curious development. This thesis project will center on two …

The Prevalence Of Disordered Eating Behaviors Among Sorority Versus Non-Sorority Women, Angela Lynn Guzman

Legacy ETDs

Eating disorders among college women is a serious psychological problem. Disordered eating behaviors were examined and diagnosed at a mid-sized university in southeast Georgia. The target group of this study was university sororities. The purpose of this study was to examine sorority versus nonsorority women to determine if there was a higher prevalence for those involved in sororities to develop disordered eating behaviors.

Surveys were distributed to both sorority and non-sorority women to determine the prevalence of disordered eating behaviors among each group. A quantitative, quasi-experimental design was used in conjunction with the Eating Attitudes Test (Gamer & Garfmkle, 1979). …

Mosquitoes, West Nile Virus, Attractants, Competition, Environmental Conditions, And Insecticide Resistance, Alan Bradley Wells

Legacy ETDs

The six main objectives of this project were: 1) test for levels of West Nile Virus in mosquitoes collected at a Fulton County Recreational Facility, 2) assay various mosquito oviposition attractants on West Nile virus positive female mosquitoes, 3) test effects of distance between mosquito infusion attractants, 4) determine effects of study site location, treatment, and competition distances on mosquito collections, 5) test for any correlation between environmental factors and mosquito abundance, and 6) measure levels of enzymatic insecticide resistance present in species of female mosquitoes that tested positive for the presence of West Nile Virus. Ofthe two species that …

The Relationship Between Computer Skills And The Levels Of Technostress Among Faculty And Academic Librarians From Selected Institutions Within The University System Of Georgia, Sonya Senithia Gaither Shepherd

Legacy ETDs

The struggle to adjust to rapid technological change has increased for the majority of the population, especially those in higher education. Change is an inevitable part of society and each individual handles change differently. Furthermore, technology's effect on society, and in particular on higher education, has been positive and negative. There has been resistance to the increased development and use of technology and this resistance may be dependent upon certain factors such as age, sex, and computer experience.

The intent of this study was to determine if computer skills relate to the levels of technostress among faculty in the Colleges …

The Predictive Utility Of Competitive Trait Anxiety, Social Support, And Daily Hassles For Athletic Injury, Joseph M. Mannion

Legacy ETDs

The purpose of this study was to examine the predictive utility of competitive trait anxiety, using a multidimensional measure (Sport Anxiety Scale, Smith, Smoll, & Schutz, 1990) with an added directional component (Jones & Swain, 1992), social support (Social Provisions Scale, Russell & Cutrona, 1984), daily hassles (Daily Hassles Scale, Kanner, Coyne, Schaefer, & Lazarus, 1981), and gender for athletic injury frequency and severity. Questionnaires were administered to 10 male and female high school basketball teams (N= 103) at the beginning of the 2000 - 2001 season, and injury data was collected from that point throughout the regular season. No …

A Comparison Of Youth Participation Motives In Organized Sports, Kirsty L. Carrihill

Legacy ETDs

Youth participation in organized physical activity has increased by more than 5 million in the last decade (Smith & Smoll, 2002). Of the 48 million youth 8 to 16 years old in the United States, 20 million participated in organized sport (Gould & Petlichkoff, 1998; Seefeldt & Ewing, 1997; Smith & Smoll, 2002). Currently, the average age for youth to begin participating in organized sports in, or outside of, school is 11 years old (Klint & Weiss, 1986; Smith & Smoll, 2002). Although participation rates have increased, there are significant numbers of youth who drop out of sport. Over one-third …

The Infusion Of Higher Education In The U.S. Army: A Sociolinguistic Study Of An Organizational Information Dissemination Process, Gerald Allen Kehr

Legacy ETDs

The present research was dedicated to uncovering sociolinguistic coupling mechanisms, specifically the metaphor, and their role in the infusion of higher education in the U S .Army It was argued that levels of ambiguity connected to inter-sociolect lexicons embedded within sociolect-specific metaphors may impede effective communication between officers and senior enlisted personnel regarding the role of higher education in the overall U. S. Army mission Information gained from this research is dedicated to the development of how the U.S military can better infuse higher education into its ongoing professional development programs. A qualitative interview method was used to conduct the …

Georgia Southern University's Mentoring Administrators Program: A Program Evaluation, Gina Gibbs Williams

Legacy ETDs

High stakes accountability in education has changed nearly everything in school leadership. In the past, principals were expected to simply hold school each day with classes running smoothly and in an orderly fashion. Rising expectations have prompted state legislatures across the United States to implement high stakes accountability systems that hold schools responsible for student achievement. The responsibility for raising student achievement rests student achievement. The responsibility for raising student achievement rests one way to cultivate and make ready new administrators for the challenges that they will face as they begin their careers.

The purpose of this study was to …

Training Needs Of School Board Members As Perceived By School Board Chairpersons And Superintendents In Georgia, Johnny W. Robertson Iii

Legacy ETDs

This study explored how the school superintendents and school board chairpersons perceived the training needs of school board members across the state of Georgia. The study examined how superintendents and school board chairpersons perceived the actual and ideal knowledge level of school board members on six educational issues (student achievement, budget, school reform, curriculum, public relations, and the roles and responsibilities of school board members and superintendents).

The study utilized a self-designed survey questionnaire to address the research questions. The 20 item questionnaire had respondents rate both the actual and ideal knowledge level of school board members in order to …

Effectiveness Of Education On Diabetes Control, Irene Nganga

Legacy ETDs

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a diabetes education intervention strategy on the clinical and biochemical status of patients in the Diabetes Complications Prevention Study (DCPS) at Candler County Hospital in Metter, Georgia. The participants in this study were all active members in the DCPS program. This intervention group was paired to control group members of a similar age and race. A sample size of 18 participants and an equal number of controls was chosen for this evaluative study. The sampling method utilized for participants in the study was non-probability quota sampling. Medical records were …

An Army Of One... With Dependents: A History Of The Army Family, Stacey Lynne Brown

Legacy ETDs

Family members have accompanied the army for the entire 227-year history of the organization. This thesis outlines the formation of the army family and its continuation through times of peace and war. It establishes the army family as a community based on the existence of three elements: geographic location, social interaction, and common ties. The results of the research for this paper establish a common experience among the members of the army family that exists throughout history and is a vital part of the success and continuation of the community.

Life Values In Youth Sport: A Qualitative Analysis, Carla J. Schmitt

Legacy ETDs

A qualitative analysis was used to examine the life values gained and enhanced through participation in youth soccer from the player, coach, and parent perspectives. Nine players, nine coaches, and nine parents were interviewed for this study. Participants were placed in groups according to classification and availability, and participants not available for the group times, were individually interviewed. The interview guides consisted of 11 questions, and two separate guides were used, one for players and one for coaches and parents. All interviews were hand, audio, and video recorded. Triangulation, involving the primary researcher and two additional researchers familiar with qualitative …

A Study Of Elementary Teachers' Abilities, Attitudes, And Beliefs About Problem Solving, Nancy Mullins Brown

Legacy ETDs

Problem solving has been alternately viewed as the justification for the study of mathematics or as the impetus and means for studying mathematics. This study examines characteristics—attitudes toward problem solving, beliefs about problem solving, and abilities to solve problems—of elementary teachers of grades three, four, and five that relate to problem solving.

Participants completed a two-part survey to quantify their attitudes and beliefs and a problem-solving activity which quantified their problem-solving abilities. Four participants were subsequently interviewed. Analyses showed that these teachers had generally positive attitudes toward problem solving, generally positive beliefs about problem solving, and generally poor problem-solving abilities. …

An Inquiry Into Gardner's Theory Of Multiple Intelligences And Strengths Of Students Placed In Special Education Under Mildly Disabled Categories, Kathryn Sandiford Harrell

Legacy ETDs

This study explored the strengths displayed by 4th-5th grade students placed in special education under mildly disabled categories as compared to the intelligences defined by Howard Gardner in his Theory of Multiple Intelligences (Gardner, 1983, 1999). These categories consist of Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) and Mildly Intellectually Disabled (MUD). Critics maintain that special education has been focused on the weaknesses of students while overlooking their strengths (Miller, 1993; Armstrong, 2000). Under new legislation and new performance goals for special education, the time has come to focus on students' strengths and equal opportunities for students to learn the curriculum mandated by …

Comparative Serological And Molecular Analysis Of Group Viii Spiroplasma From Australia And North America, April Carmita Murphy

Legacy ETDs

Spiroplasma bacteria (Mollicutes: Spiroplasmataceae) are characterized by motility, helical morphology and are most frequently found in insect guts and phloem tubes of plants. Traditionally, Spiroplasma have been classified by serology. Recent work has generated 16S rDNA sequences that generally correlate with the serological findings. Although the serology and the 16S rDNA sequence analysis clearly classifies strains to the group level, they do not distinguish between strains within the same group. The goal of this project was to investigate the utility of the 16S-23S rDNA intergenic spacer region sequence as a means to distinguish these closely related strains.

We chose Group …

The Perception Of Ceos And Cios In Regard To Planning And Information Systems Success In Higher Education In The Southeastern United States, Howard Chambless Woodard

Legacy ETDs

As information systems become an ever-increasing part of the educational infrastructure, their successful implementation and operation become paramount and strategic. It appears that information systems have not been utilized in a paramount or strategic fashion by education, especially in organizations of higher education.

The intent of this research was to identify the perceptions of the presidents/chief executive officers (CEOs) and the senior information systems executive'chief information officers (CIOs) in not-for-profit institutions of higher education, accredited by Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), and whose highest conferred degree is a master's degree or higher. The study reviewed certain institutional and …

School Choice: Perceptions Of Magnet Schools And Charter School Principals And Parents In Georgia, Mark Lee Boyd

Legacy ETDs

The purpose of this study was to examine perceptions of parents and administrators in selected magnet schools and charter schools in Georgia. The intent was to give administrators of schools in Georgia an understanding of which parents in Georgia are most apt to make a school choice. Additionally, the study was aimed at providing administrators with an understanding of the factors parents considered when selecting a school for their children and what sources of information the parents utilized to find information necessary to make a choice.

To collect data, a survey was distributed to parents and administrators in six magnet …

The Motivational Stories Of How Women Become Scientists: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Inquiry, Sandra White Watson

Legacy ETDs

The under-representation of women in science careers is well documented (Astin, Green, Kom, & Riggs, 1991; Felder, Felder, Mauny, Hamrin, & Dietz, 1995; Green, 1989; National Science Foundation, 1996, 1998; Seymour & Hewitt, 1997; Strenta, Elliot, Adair, Scott, & Matier, 1994; Tobias, 1990, 1992). While important information has been published concerning various factors that influenced women to pursue science careers (American Association of University Women, 1992; Debacker & Nelson, 2000; Samuels, 1999), very few research projects have allowed women scientists to share their personal experiences ofwhat motivated them to become scientists in their own voices.

The purpose of this inquiry …